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Why Athletes Win In Sales

Adam Mendler is CEO of The Veloz Group and founder of Beverly Hills Chairs, Custom Tobacco and Veloz Solutions

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At a young age, I realized that barring a miracle beyond my comprehension, I had no chance of playing professional sports. I also understood that I was effective at persuading others, so my ability to sell mitigated my inability to hit a curveball (or a fastball). Over the years, both as an employee and as an employer, I observed a phenomenon interesting to me: Many former athletes successfully transitioning from the playing field to the corporate world by excelling in and around sales.

In my first job out of college, I met NFL legend Dan Marino, who came by the office to try to sell an investment to my then-employer. At my first job out of graduate school, I was blown away by the sales skills of a far less acclaimed athlete, a colleague who was a former Division III college baseball player. And one of the lead salespeople for the office furniture company I co-founded also played baseball in college.

To better understand why so many athletes thrive in sales, I spoke to numerous current and former professional athletes, Olympians and sports executives and came to realize just how many of the characteristics vital to sports success are also integral to winning in the field of sales.

Hard Work, Dedication, Focus And Flexibility

According to Frank Zaccanelli, former president of the Dallas Mavericks, only uniquely dedicated individuals are able to achieve meaningful athletic success.

“Athletes work exceptionally hard at their craft to get to the professional level -- they have been focusing on one task since they were very young, and they had to have the self-discipline to put in the hard work,” Zaccanelli told me. “It makes perfect sense these skills would transition ... outside of their sport.”

Given the countless number of people competing for the few spots available at the highest level of any sport, even the most talented athletes must possess a strong work ethic, exceptional focus and discipline and the flexibility to adapt while training and competing. These attributes are equally important to salespeople, as they must also navigate a highly competitive landscape to rise to the top.

As Tobin Heath,a two-time Olympic gold medal-winning soccer player whose endorsement deals have given her exposure to the world of sales, told me, on the field or off, “edging out the competition takes a tremendous amount of focus and flexibility.”

Love Of Competition

Not only are top athletes and salespeople well-equipped to stand out in deeply competitive environments, but they intrinsically enjoy competition. The best and highest-performing people in sales viscerally embrace competition and cherish hard-earned victories.

Theo Ratliff,a longtime NBA player known for his aggressive style and shot-blocking skills, observed that “athletes are great in sales because we have been competing [for] the majority of our lives,” adding that athletes and salespeople alike love the thrill of the chase. In my experience, those who lack the passion to pursue new deals ultimately pursue other lines of work or stick it out but fail to meaningfully grow their book of business.

Self-Motivation And Goal-Orientation

Successful salespeople are goal-oriented and self-motivated — defining qualities of high-performing athletes — as they set benchmarks and focus diligently on reaching or exceeding them, with or without the assistance of management.

Giorgio Tavecchio,the starting kicker for the Oakland Raiders, said, “Athletes often must rely on self-motivation, which translates well into the high-ceiling/limitless sales landscape.” Ryan Murphy, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and world-record holder in the men's 100-meter backstroke, added, “Athletes thrive when they have goals. Short-term or long-term, athletes are motivated by the next standard. And once we achieve that standard, we look for ways to reach the next one.”

Like elite athletes, great salespeople continually push themselves to meet increasingly ambitious goals, aiming to outperform the numbers they put up in previous months, quarters or years.

Ability To Overcome Failure

In my conversation with Tavecchio, I asked about managing failure. I have long wondered how kickers deal with the crushing disappointment that comes with missing a field goal with the game on the line. He explained that he is able to keep things in perspective and bounce back to fight another day, adding, “By facing constant competition and occasional setbacks, athletes tend to be very resilient and determined, which allows them to not take failure as permanent or personal, but rather continuously strive for success.”

Similarly, salespeople face a continual barrage of rejection and must be able to overcome failure in order to maintain the mental strength needed to succeed. Great athletes and salespeople alike recognize that failure is inevitable and must treat setbacks as speed bumps rather than stop signs.

Strong Interpersonal Skills

Tavecchio also cited the strong interpersonal skills that are honed by working in a team-oriented setting as a reason why athletes win in sales. “Athletes involved in team sports develop people-oriented approaches and communication skills that translate into the ability to work as part of a team and the ability to create positive relationships.”

Great salespeople often possess supreme people skills and are able to adeptly apply their relationship-building and communication prowess toward successfully converting prospects into clients. Professional athletes perform at a high level while working with diverse and oftentimes divergent personalities, much in the way that top salespeople excel at selling to decision-makers with vastly differing personas.

With greater insight into why athletes win in sales, entrepreneurs and executives have two good options when considering the next hire for their sales team: Find a former ballplayer or bring on someone less athletically-accomplished but who possesses the same qualities found in winners on and off the field.